Moonsetter
by Metrowolf
Summary: Jane lives a perfectly normal, if somewhat boring life. She has her best friend Roxy, her school work, and no social life to speak of. So when she goes to a nightclub called Moonsetter she falls instantly in love with the riddle that is Dirk Strider. Her need to solve him drags her into the dark side of her town's past, and into a world she not ready to fight.
1. Chapter 1

"Jane. Jane. Jane. Jaaaneey- come on Jane!"

Jane looked up to make sure professor Mendicant was busy before she turned around. "What do you want Roxy?" She hissed from between clenched teeth. Roxy never paid attention during class, but Jane needed to listen if she wanted to pass.

"Me and Calli are going to a new club tonight, you game?" Roxy replied smoothly, as if they were sitting at lunch instead of the middle of a classroom.

"I told you, I don't like clubs. Now if you don't mind I want to listen to this lecture." Jane snorted, turning back around.

"Buuuut Jaaane!" Roxy whined. Jane didn't bother turning around, Roxy was only this whiny when she was drunk, which is to say, all the time. She was a really good friend, but Jane got tired of it after a while. Even the students near them were starting to stare. All the while Roxy was leaning forward, chanting: "Jane. Jaaane. Jany bebe- hic."

"No."

"But Jane, that hot new boy is going to be there." Roxy protested. Jane considered this. A few weeks ago a mutual friend of theirs, Jake English, got a new roommate. Jane had only met Dirk once, but found him to be fairly attractive. Although he did seem a bit nervous to meet new people. Though, it could have just been her. Jane didn't like to play it up, but she was an important heiress to the Betty Crocker company.

"Fine!" Jane sighed finally.

"Ms. Crocker is there something you want to say?" The professor asked, looking up from her white board.

A few of the kids near Jane snickered. "No ma'am." Jane said quickly, blushing furiously. She hated being called out in class, especially by the nice teachers like Mendicant.

"Buuuusted." Roxy giggled, sinking into her chair.

"I can't believe you got me in trouble like that!" Jane complained loudly as she and Roxy walked back to their apartment. They had just gotten out of their last class for the day, biology, and wanted to get home before the sun set.

"I can't believe it took you so long to agree to come out with me." Roxy retorted. She had sobered up since five, mostly because their history professor, Slick, didn't allow drinks in his lecture. Which was so stupid since he spent like the whole class sipping on water.

"What new club is this again?" Jane sighed, pulling her backpack up.

"Well actually I was looking it on my laptop during biology-"

"How?" The professor didn't allow laptops.

"And it's not new, it's really old which is totes fucked up cus I've been to every nightclub in this dismal town and I've never heard of it before." Roxy continued, ignoring her friend. "It's called Ebony, and it's kinda in the shady part of town."

"Roxy!" Jane whined. "You know I don't like going near there-"

"Look I've been there plenty of times and I'm still alive." Roxy pointed out gently. Jane considered bringing up Roxy's scars, but decided against it. "And you'll be with me and Calli."

Calli was Roxy's girlfriend, a charming little British girl who moved to the states a year ago. She was petite, but Jane quickly learned to not judge her by appearance. Calliope was a black belt, and a sharp shooter, almost as good as Roxy herself. They had met at a junior marksman competition and hit it off. Jane felt sorry for anyone stupid enough to pick on the couple.

"I don't know Roxy." Jane puffed her cheeks out in defiance.

"Jane. Jane. Jaaaane." Roxy giggled. Hmm, maybe she was still drunk. "I swear I didn't know where it was when I asked you to go, but I would appreciate it if you still came with us. Just this one time and then I will only take you to regular, not scary clubs for the rest of your life."

Jane glared at her, until Roxy took her cheeks in her hands and poofed out the air. They both laughed until they couldn't breath, and Roxy actually dropped all of her books to the ground.

"Ok, ok fine, I'll go. But just this one time. Promise?" Jane asked, wiping away a tear.

"Promise." Roxy agreed, pulling her best friend into a bear hug. Jane gasped as she was lifted of her feet, which set off the laughter again.

Twenty minutes Jane was pulling on her light blue party dress and fixing her make up in the mirror. Again.

"Jane dear you look lovely." Calli said as she entered the bathroom. Her pixie haircut was dyed white, which may have looked weird on some people but made her look like some sort of green eyed angel. Calli applied a thin line of white eyeshadow without even looking, her gaze still on her nervous friend.

"If you say so." Jane mumbled, flattening her ruffles out. "You know I don't like clubbing a whole lot."

"Yes, that Roxy always drags you around." Calli sighed. She had heard the 'I'm not normally a party girl' spiel more than once. "We will be fine! Try to have fun. Meet a cute boy."

"Which reminds me- Roxy!" Jane called, leaving Calli to finish her makeup.

"Yesh?" Came to the muffled reply from the kitchen. Jane stepped in to find Roxy sitting on the counter, a shot glass in one hand, an open bottle of vodka in the other. "Pre-gaming" Roxy said, lifting the bottle to fill the glass once more.

"Am I going to dd tonight?" Jane asked cautiously. "Or is Calli- wait no thats not what I came out here for. You said Dirk was going to be there tonight, right?"

"Yes. And before you -hic- ask, no I'm not stalking him. I asked him if he had plans and it shliped out before he could stop himself." Roxy slurred. She downed the shot and shuddered. "Oh that hit the spot. Did you want Calli to dd? Neither of you has had anything to drink yet, right?"

"Before he could stop himself? Were we not supposed to go to, what was it, Ebony? Is that his club?" Jane asked curiously. She couldn't help it. If something didn't make sense she would turn into a full out super sleuth until she figured out what the problem was. Jane loved solving mysteries. She considered opening a detective business with her friend Terezi, but the blind girl wanted to be a lawyer.

"Jane. He only said it cus he wanted me and my hawt crew to go tonight. It's not a riddle, its flirting. F-l-i-r-t-i-n-g. Say it with me F-"

"He better not have invited you to a club." Calli said threateningly as she walked back into the room.

"Oh good we're all here!" Roxy said, jumping from the counter. Jane and Calli both jumped forward to aid her, but Roxy swatted them away. "If you think there's a single thing I can't do when I'm drunk, you're wrong." She said seriously.

"Never." Calli smiled. She took Roxy's hand and glanced over at Jane. "Who's dd tonight?"

"I guess me." Jane muttered, grabbing her car keys from off the counter. "I don't want to be drunk in some strange club tonight."

"Great!" Calli said as she took the bottle from Roxy.

The trio headed out to Jane's civic. It was a little silver thing Jane had gotten for her sweet sixteen, and so far it had lasted her four years. Calli and Roxy squeezed into the backseat, both giggling and sipping from the bottle. Jane climbed into the front seat, and then refused to leave until both of her passengers had their seat belts on.

"Did that man have blood on his shirt?" Jane asked a half hour later as they neared the club.

"I think it was ketchup." Calli said hopefully. "You need to take the next left." She added, glancing down at the directions she had printed out.

It took them another five minutes to find the place, followed by thirty minuets of finding a spot and walking back to the club. Roxy boldly led them to the back of the line, right behind a lovely bunch of people who looked like they belonged in a cheap vampire movie.

"Is that Dracula?" Calli asked, peeking over Roxy's shoulder.

"Who wears a cape to a club?" Roxy giggled back at her.

Jane didn't say anything, there was just too much to comment on. She had never seen so much leather in one place, and she had been to a tanning factory once. Everyone seemed edgy, and kept throwing confused glances at the three college girls. They looked like they had never seen something as bright as the dress Jane was wearing. She felt very out of place, but her friends were just too drunk to notice.

The line lowly inched forward, and after coughing up twenty dollars a piece the girls found themselves inside the dimly lit club. The club was just as intimidating as its line of patrons. Dark curtains hung across the ceiling, giving Jane the impression she was in a cave. The only real source of light was a a few lamps, and a strobe light near the center stage. Smoke wafted through the club, giving it a burning sugar smell. The most prominent feature was the music. Techno music blasted through the speakers, making the whole building feel like it was rocking. The dance floor was a writing mass of tangled limbs, each person indistinguishable from the next.

"That's a lot of people." Calli shouted. Jane barely heard her over the din.

"Before we get started, I really really have to pee." Roxy shouted back, tugging on her black skirt for emphasis. The blonde girl took off into the crowd, leaving Calli and Jane to follow or be stranded in the sea of goths.

Calli followed her in, but despite her better judgment Jane stood just outside the doorway. She nervously glanced through the crowd of people wondering if Dirk really was in here somewhere. Jane adjusted her glasses when she saw a blonde boy, but it turned out to be someone she didn't know. He saw her looking, and gave her a wink. Jane blushed furiously and turned back to scanning the other side of the room.

"Looking for someone?" A raspy voice asked from her left. Jane jumped and turned around, finding herself face to face with a tall boy with black hair, his face painted to look like some sort of dark clown.

"N-No." Jane lied quickly. "Just waiting for some friends to come out of the bathroom." The second part wasn't a fib, so she didn't feel too bad. Still, he didn't need to know what she was doing.

"No need to get defensive sister, I'm the owner of this club, I can tell you who comes and goes through the gates." He said, his smile drooping into some sort of half grin. He looked high out of his mind, and his clothes didn't even match. Jane winced. "I'm Gamzee Makara."

"Uh, no seriously, I'm fine-" Jane started weakly, wishing Roxy would just finish peeing already.

"Who are you?" Gamzee asked. Was it just Jane, or was his grin turning wicked? He knew he was making her uncomfortable, and that seemed to make him happy. What a sicko.

"Uh." was all she managed before a third voice cut into their conversation.

"There you are princess!" Both of them turned to see Dirk walking toward them Jane thought her heart was about to stop. He was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a tight black wife beater, but he still looked incredible. Then he swooped in and put his arm around hers. "I've been looking everywhere for you, you know how easy you can get lost in a place like this. And run into the wrong people." He looked pointedly at Gamzee with the last sentence.

The owner retained his smile, but Jane could see a cold hatred in his eyes. "Ah yes, I think you two were just leaving then? Because I've said before Dirk, YOU'RE NOT MOTHERFUCKING WELCOME HERE." He roared, making a good portion of the dancers freeze.

Oh, so it wasn't his club like Jane had originally thought. Dirk just sneered. "Yeah, you've made it clear." He said, tightening his grip around Jane's arm. He shoved her through the crowd, and away from Gamzee before she could say anything.

Just when they reached the exit she realized she had forgotten her friends. "Wait Dirk!" She said, tugging on his arm.

He looked at her, and she saw that maybe he wasn't as cool as he'd like her to think. She had a way of knowing when something was wrong. "She did not- You came here with Roxy and her girlfriend didn't you." it wasn't even a question. He knew what was wrong.

Jane nodded.

"I told her not to come, I warned her-" He sighed, resting his hand across his triangular shades.

"She said you were just flirting." Jane defended her friend weakly.

"She took a warning as flirting?" Dirk responded. "How is she still alive? You go outside and wait for us near your car. I'll be right back." Before she could protest he dove back into the crowd, disappearing almost instantly.

Jane considered going after him, but didn't want to risk running into Gamzee again. Instead she listened to Dirk and headed outside.

They had only been in the club for a few minutes but it felt much colder outside somehow. Jane sat on the hood of the car, gazing up at the night sky. All of the stars had come out, lighting the filthy parking lot with a soft glow. It was only a half moon, but it was still brighter outside than in.

Jane was just starting to relax when she heard a crack from somewhere behind her. She gasped and turned around, tired of things sneaking up on her. This made what, three things tonight alone? Too many. Jane searched the parking lot for the source of the noise, slipping off the hood and walking to the back of the car. The noise came again.

A few cars down Jane swore she saw something glowing, but it was gone before she could get a proper look. Besides, people don't glow in the dark, right? Jane took another step forward when she heard a loud scream from the club.

Dirk had walked outside, a furious Roxy thrown over his shoulder, Calli trailing behind them.

"Set me down!" Roxy was shrieking, hitting Dirk in the shoulder. "We just got here!"

Jane looked back to where she thought she had seen someone, but they were gone now. She sighed and walked over to join her friends. Dirk gently set Roxy down, and she shoved away from him.

"I told you not to come." Dirk snapped angrily at her.

"I can go where ever I want!" Roxy shouted back. Then her eyes went side and she clamped her hand over her mouth. Roxy dashed to the bushes before promptly throwing up into them.

"Roxy!" Calliope shouted, racing after her.

Dirk took the opportunity to talk to Jane. "Look this really isn't the best place for people like you." He said silently. Then he frowned and rubbed his neck. "Not that there's anything wrong with you, it's just the place. Uh, you should just go."

"I came to see you." Jane said before she could stop herself.

Dirk stared at her, until she started to feel self conscious. Well, that was the reason, she just hadn't meant to tell him. "Don't." Was all he could say. "Just don't, I 'm not worth it princess. Take your friends home, and forget about this place."

Then he turned and walked away. Away from the club, away from her. Jane felt her face flush. Tonight didn't quite turn out the way she wanted it to, but Dirk had made a mistake in how vague he had been. He had made himself a mystery, and Jane was going to solve him whatever it took.


	2. Chapter 2

Jane glanced down the hallway. No sigh of Roxy or Calli, they must still be sleeping off their hangovers. Jane put her glass of orange juice in one hand, and plate of eggs and toast in the other before quietly stalking to her room. She did an odd spinning maneuver as she crossed into her threshold, humming to the tune of mission impossible, and shut the door behind her. The plate and glass ended up on the desk and Jane got down on her knees to reach under the bed. She glanced around one more time before pulling out a dusty shoe box. Jane sat on the bed, trying to revel the moment as much as she could. The box opened slowly, and was set down on the bed forgotten once Jane saw the contents. She gingerly picked up her fake glasses/ nose/ mustache combo and put it on. Then she took out the bubble pipe and put it between her lips.

"You are so weird Jane." Calli said from where she was standing in the doorway.

Jane let out a loud shriek, dropping the pipe and disheveling her glasses. "How long have you been standing there!" She hadn't even heard the door open.

"Long enough to know that you've got a mystery you want to solve." Calli replied, sitting down on the bed next to her. She hadn't drank as much as Roxy the night before, and didn't look any worse for wear. Her white hair was curled in the same fashion it always was, and her green eyes were bright and alert despite the fact that she had only just got up. However she was not her normal cheerful self. Calli had her mouth set in a worried line as she looked at the things Jane was holding. "It's not that Dirk boy is it?"

"Uh." Jane said in a way of agreeing.

Calli sighed. "Look, I knew we shouldn't have gone to the club last night, but I didn't worry about it. Me and Roxy can handle anything together, but I don't get a good feeling from Dirk. Whatever was wrong with the club is wrong with him too." She said gently.

"Oh please, he said some crazy things last night. I have to get to the bottom of this." Jane protested, clasping her hands together and leaning towards the smaller girl.

Calli raised an eyebrow. "He said things. What sort of case is that?"

"Did you even hear him?" Jane replied in exasperation, throwing her hands into the air. "'People like you.' And how is he not a person? 'I'm not worth it' What sort of boy says that to a pretty girl? He's got something to hide Calli, I just know it."

"If he's really got a secret, why don't you be a sensible person and let him keep it?" Calli asked. She patted down her white robe and went to stand up.

Jane grabbed her hand before she could leave. "He was kicked out of the club, but he still came back to make sure the three of us were okay. He's a good person. What if he needs help?" She pleaded. "What if its something he can't handle by himself?"

Calli took her hand back, but she looked less sure of herself now. "Jane I know it's your personality to want to help everyone, but if he's in over his head he should find people more qualified than three teenage girls to help him." Calli frowned, and walked out of the room.

Jane let out a defeated sigh and fell back onto her bed with a soft whoosh. She had to help. Underneath his cool exterior she had seen a trace of genuine fear the night before. Was there something she really needed to be afraid of too?

Jane sat back up and reached for her laptop. Fine. She wouldn't go to Moonsetter if she could avoid it, but there were other ways for her to investigate what was going on.

An hour later she walked back into the kitchen, her empty dishes in her hands. Roxy was sitting at the table, an open can of ginger ale in her hands. Maybe sitting wasn't the best term. She was slumped forward, her forehead resting on the cool wood of the table. But her butt was in the chair. So sitting? Jane shrugged and deposited the dishes into the sink before sitting down across from her best friend.

"If I remember last night correctly, we got to the club, and right after I peed a very handsome asshole came and took me to the car before I could get my dance on. And I threw up. A lot. Does this sound right to you?" Roxy mumbled against the table, not even bothering to look up.

"Nailed it." Jane told her. "I've actually been doing some research in regards to the club we went to last night. Wait," she glanced around. "is Calli here?"

Roxy finally lifted her head. "No, I sent her to get some pain killers. Youch." She winced and set her head back down. "I really effin need them."

"Golly, I 'm sorry Roxy. Maybe we should lay off the drinking?" Jane suggested. She heard a groan from Roxy, and took that as a yes. "You should see some of the things I found out when I was looking up Moonsetter. It used to be called Moonrise, and was owned by, you'll never believe this, Jake's Grandmother Jade English."

"Isn't Jade his cousin?" Roxy mumbled.

"I guess little Jade was named after granny Jade when she died? Anyway, his grandma died suspiciously thirteen years back but they couldn't pin it down as murder, and the club was bought by the creepy Makara dude. He renamed it Moonsetter and has been running it since. Now I managed to find a few articles in the police data bank-"

"You hacked the police?" Roxy struggled to look up. She would have been furious if she was feeling well enough.

"You left me a back door after last time." Jane soothed her. Jane had done many a case before, and once Roxy hacked the police website so she could have access to the files. It didn't matter if what you did was illegal if you caught the bad guy, right? "As I was saying I looked up a few cases and it turns out in the past thirteen years there's been sixteen murders, all claiming the last place the victim was seen was-"

"The club." Roxy finished for her. "Shit, really?"

"Yeah, the police never pinned down the club since the murders were so spread out, but I think its all rather fishy. They searched it a few times, but didn't' find anything conclusive. Before Makara took over there had been a few disappearances, but nothing so heavy."

"So you think creepy juggalo has something to do with it?" Roxy asked, her pink eyes wide with fear. "Wow we really shouldn't have gone to that club."

"You think?" Jane sighed. She hopped off the chair and stretched. She had been sitting on that laptop for far too long, and she was starting to feel cramped. It was a Saturday so none of the girls had any obligations to attend to. Jane planned to head back out, but it didn't look Roxy was going to be game for anything really. It wouldn't hurt to ask though. "I'm going over to see Jake, want to come with me?"

Roxy rolled her head slightly, and Jane could see 'are you serious rite now' written all over her face. "No Janey, I'm not leaving this house unless it catches fire, and even then the odds of me getting up are lookin preeeety slim. You have fun chasin after Dirk." She groaned, before pressing her forehead back against the table.

Jane shrugged. "Again, I'm not chasing Dirk. I just want to talk to Jake about him."

Roxy gurgled slightly.

"Too much?" Jane winced. Geesh, it looked like none of her friends wanted to see her get the guy. Jane tried to tell herself it didn't matter, but she knew her friends opinions had a way of working on her. Maybe if she couldn't get Jake's support she should just stop trying so hard...

Feeling suddenly dejected Jane walked back to her room to grab a coat and left. Her car was waiting for her in the driveway, the most loyal thing she still had. Jane got in, pulled on her seat belt and started the engine.

Twenty minuets later she pulled on to Jake's street. She hadn't been paying much attention for most of the dive, her mind wandering. She and Jake used to be very close, she was even in love with the rugged adventurer back in high school, but now things were strained. He just couldn't be what she wanted him to be, and she wasn't brave enough to go after him anyway. It made her afraid. What if she figured out Dirk and he wasn't what she thought he was? Would she become bored of him like she had with Jake?

She pulled into the all too familiar driveway without having to put any effort into it and killed the car. Just as she slammed the car door she heard a loud crash from somewhere in the house. She looked up in alarm, and her blood froze. The front door was hanging off its hinges, deep claw marks in its wood. Jane stared at it wide eyed when something caught her attention. Something in the house moved.

Jane clenched her fists and found she was shaking. Roxy kept a gun in her car, but Jane had never felt the need. None of her pretend cases had ever led to real altercations with actual bad guys. The only thing she had was a spoon. One of the nice hard crocker ones. It would have to suffice.

She pulled the cooking utensil from her back seat and approached the house slowly. Jane held it up like a sword, which didn't help any but made her feel more confident. She stepped over the broken door and glanced around. The house was a mess. Jake's furniture was overturned, magazines scattered across the floor. Broken glass littered the hallway floor and all the lights were out. Still, Jane didn't see the person she had spotted from outside. She kept herself on high alert, constantly looking around to make sure no one could sneak up on her.

"Jake?" She asked after a few minuets of not finding anyone, her voice sounding too loud in the silent house. "Jake where are you?"

She actually screamed when her phone went off. Jane blushed furiously, glanced around one more time to make sure no one had heard that, and fumbled in her pocket before pulling out the phone. The screen told her that Roxy was calling. Jane flipped the phone open and pressed the receiver to her ear.

"Jane! Are you at the house?!" It was the wrong voice.

"Calli?" Jane breathed, keeping her phone to her ear as she crept forward.

"Jane please listen to me, Don't go in. Jake and Dirk are here, they're safe-"

There was a small noise behind Jane, but she didn't miss it. The hallway suddenly seemed a little brighter. "Jake and Dirk are with you?" She asked slowly. "Then who's here?"

"That would be me." Said a regal voice from behind Jane. Jane almost was relieved that it wasn't Gamzee. Almost.

She turned around quickly, but the light had already gone out. The phone slipped from her hand. "Kanaya?" Jane gasped. They hadn't spoken since graduation, but it was unmistakably the same girl she had gone to school with for four years. "Did you?" Jane asked, pointing to the mess around them.

"No of course not." Kanaya said disdainfully, as if she was insulted that Jane think she capable of such a mess. "I wanted to warn Dirk, but it seems he made it out just fine on his own. You on the other hand, what were you thinking coming here? You're in danger just standing here human."

The last word just slipped out, as easily as the rest, but Jane saw how it changed Kanaya's complete posture. From agitated to outright seething. "Eridan!" she shouted, completely ignoring Jane's flustered face.

A second person emerged from a back room, this time someone Jane didn't recognize. "Hey Kan I think I heard-" The boy started, before stopping dead when he saw Jane. "Oh motherglubbin shit."

"Please Jane I can explain on the way, but we need to leave now." Kanaya said urgently, grabbing at Jane's hand.

"And go where?" Jane tried to sound brave, like she was still in control of the situation, but it dawned on her that she never actually was in such a position. Finally she allowed herself to be dragged from the house by her old friend.

"Somewhere safer than this. You want to know the truth about your attractive blonde friend?" Kanaya Questioned. Jane could only nod. "Then we go to my home, the Core of Darkness."


	3. Chapter 3

"Why did we need to go to the grocery store again Mate?" Jake asked as his jeep came to a harsh stop at a red light. He glanced to his passenger seat, where his best friend was sitting calmly. Dirk's face was devoid of any emotion, and for a fleeting second Jake thought he may have died sitting straight up in the seat. The moment passed, and Jake plowed on. "You don't even cook that often. Well, I'm not much of a chef myself now am I? I'd like to fancy myself a cook but confounded spuds get me every time-"

"Jake I lied." Dirk said finally, cutting him off.

"Lied?" Jake looked at him, his eyes wide with surprise. The light turned green, but he didn't move.

"We need to go to Jane and Roxy's place. And more importantly, I needed to get us out of the house." Dirk continued, not bothering to assuage his friend's hurt feelings.

"Is it one of those things I'd rather not talk about?" Jake asked, finally taking his foot of the brake. Fortunately no one had been waiting behind him, so nobody had needed to honk yet.

"Yes. Just get to their house." Dirk sank back into his chair, a frown gracing his lips. He didn't like lying, but the less his friend knew the better.

They were silent for the rest of the drive, the sky overhead growing grey. Rain threatened to fall, but never did. In Dirk's opinion, it was the worst sort of weather. To his ever lasting credit, Jake didn't ask Dirk anymore questions. He didn't like being lead around blindly, but he did it without hesitating for Dirk's sake. Dirk bit the inside of his lip, instantly tasting blood. One day he'd stop dragging his friends into hell with him. But that wasn't today.

The front door to Roxy's home slammed open as soon as they pulled in. Calli approached the jeep slowly as the boys got out, her hands on her hips and a slight growl emanating from her throat as she looked at Dirk.

"Do you know where Jane is?" Calli snarled.

This took Dirk by surprise. "I thought she was here?" Then it hit him. She wasn't here. So where else would the wanna be detective go?

"She's at your house Jake, looking for you!"

Jake's eyes widened in alarm, and he looked at Dirk for guidance. The blonde man could only grimace. Why couldn't that girl stay out of his business?

Calli was half of Dirk's weight, but he suddenly found himself taking a step back as she approached him. She reached into her pocket and he flinched, but she only pulled out Roxy's phone. Calli hit a single button and put the phone to her ear, tapping her foot and throwing daggers with her eyes at Dirk. Time seemed to slow until finally everyone's favorite junior detective answered the phone. She and Calli exchanged the words, and Dirk almost relaxed until he heard Jane whisper 'Then who's here?'

Before Calli could respond there was a second voice on the other end. "That would be me." Then the phone clicked, signaling the end of the call. Calli pulled the phone away from her ear, staring at it like she couldn't believe the Jane wasn't there anymore.

"Good news, bad news." Dirk sighed. "I know who that was at our place."

"Our place?" Jake asked in confusion.

"Was that the good news or the bad news?" Calli asked.

Dirk shook his head. "Both."

Jane was silent in the back seat of Kanaya's tiny white Honda. She sat still, as if in a daze, carefully observing the two people sitting in front of her. Kanaya's skin was pale, so much paler then Jane remembered. Did she spend the last two years staying out of the sun? If Jane didn't know better, she'd say that Kanaya was outright glowing. On the other hand Jane had no idea who the boy was. Eridan was nearly as pale as Kanaya, and from the looks of it, every bit as obsessed with fashion as she was. He wore a pair of designer skinny jeans, which probably cost as much as all the clothes Jane owned. Put together. On top of that he had a purple plaid shirt, a dark blue scarf, and a violet streak in his perfect blonde hair.

Eventually Kanaya pulled into a dim alley. Though, it may have just been the darkening sky above them just making it seem desolate. Kanaya parked her bug into a reserved spot and she and Eridan got out of the car. Jane stared at them, wondering if she should just stay in the car when Kanaya pulled her door open.

"Do not be afraid Jane. Please come in, we just need to have a chat with you." Kanaya said gently.

_Says the girl who referred to me as a human_. Jane thought darkly, but climbed out and followed them across the parking lot. The building in front of them was far from impressive, but Jane has long since learned to not judge things by their outside. A dusty sign reading "Core of Darkness" hung over a peeling black door. The letters were fading and the a was falling off. The windows of the place were boarded tightly shut, only reinforcing the hopelessness of the place.

While Kanaya knocked on the door Eridan came and stood next to Jane.

"What?" Jane asked, eying him nervously.

"I'm curious, did you reelly think you could take whatever you found in Jake's shack with a fuckin spoon?" Eridan asked, his smile wide.

Jane was about to get indignant when she did a double take at his teeth. Some of them were much sharper than they should have been. It wouldn't be exaggeration to call them fangs. She took a step back, accidentally running into Kanaya.

Kanaya turned on her, and then glared at Eridan. His smile dropped and he straightened himself back up. The door swung open, and Jane peered curiously past Kanaya. The room was too dark to see anything properly, but if Jane wasn't mistaken, something in the room was giving off a faint pink glow. Then she was being ushered in and the door shut, plunging the room in darkness.

Jane rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust to the gloom. It was cold, much colder inside than it had been outside. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, guiding her deeper into the club's bowls. The faint glow seemed to pulse brighter as they walked. Jane pushed her glasses up her nose and gasped as she adjusted enough to tell what the light was. It looked like some sort of crystal, growing straight through the floor into the room. The room itself was huge, much larger than any other club Jane had been in. The dark ceiling seemed beyond the reach of the crystals, and Jane couldn't tell where it ended. It couldn't be that high, could it?

The sound of whispering reached her ears, but as Jane glanced around she found the club was empty. Just the three of them, a stage, a bar, and, a throne? In the center of the room, growing closer with every step was a chair made completely of the violet crystals. It shifted suddenly, and Jane realized there was some sitting there.

The woman stood up, and Eridan and Kanaya stopped walking, instead dropping to their knees. She approached slowly, and Jane was transfixed. The woman was wearing a long black gown, with violet lining. Her skin was glowing, there was no way to avoid that reality. The skin was marred by a swirling black tattoo that crossed her arms, chest, before twisting away to her back where Jane could no longer see it. She had a sheet of slick raven hair, a face full of piercings, and most unsettling, her eyes were a luminescent yellow.

"Hello Jane, I'm Porrim Maryam. Welcome to the Core of Dakrness." The woman said, coming to a stop in front of Jane.

"You're not human." Jane stuttered.

Porrim just chuckled and motioned for Kanaya and Eridan to rise. She walked back to her throne, as graceful as a jaguar prowling its territory. She had a presence in the room, and when Eridan and Kanaya stood back up they both took a step away from her. Despite her gracious welcome Jane still felt intimidation coming off of her in waves. What was she?

Haunting music started playing somewhere from deeper in the building, but Jane payed it no mind. It suddenly occurred to her that she might not be safe at all.

"Kanaya here tells me that you were at Moonsetter last night." Porrim smiled. "And then you chased after Dirk despite what he told you? You are either the bravest human I've ever met, or one of the most foolish."

"I'd like to think myself brave." Jane mumbled, pushing her glasses up her nose.

Porrim laughed again. "You've just proved how out of your league you are. Do you want to know the truth about your attractive blonde friend?"

Jane raised an eyebrow in an attempt of nonchalance. She doubted that Porrim would fall for it, but she didn't want the mysterious woman to know just how desperate she was for the missing pieces of the puzzle that was Dirk. On the other hand, Jane wanted to know the truth about the people around her, and even the club she was in. She just couldn't ignore the elephant in the room forever or it would probably kill her.

Porrim watched her carefully, gauging her reaction. Maybe she took the lack of reaction at face value because she sat back, suddenly disinterested in her previous topic. "Perhaps he will let you know one day, as powerful as I'd like to think myself, some secrets are not mine to give out." Then she leaned forward. "But I'd like you to listen to me carefully Jane. Dirk may not trust us, but we have no ill will for him. We just want to help. When you get to speak to him again, tell him that we have a common enemy. And the core can be more helpful than he thinks."

Jane nodded obediently, but couldn't stop herself from blurting "What is this place? What are you?"

"I thought it was obvious." Porrim said lightly. She blinked, and began to glow again. Jane hadn't realized she had grown so dim while they were talking. "We're vampires."

"Things would have been much easier if you hadn't just said that." Jane jumped as she heard a voice behind her. Kanaya and Eridan both whirled around, but Porrim just smiled. Dirk was gritting his teeth, and glowering at the woman on the throne. Much to Jane's surprise he was followed by Calliope, who looked completely disinterested with the entire ordeal.

"You know that I have nothing but your best interest in mind." Porrim replied. "Even if you want nothing to do with me, I still value you."

Dirk just frowned. He walked to where Jane was standing and put his arm around her waist. Jane suddenly felt light and giddy, but tried not to smile. Dirk looked furious, and she didn't want to upset him more. Kanaya and Eridan carefully backed away from them, towards Porrim.

"Well, you make take your leave. It was nice meeting you Jane. Do keep what I said in mind." The vampire smiled as Dirk started tugging on her back towards the door. The music faded back to whispers, and finally to silence as they reached the door.

"Where's Roxy?" Jane whispered, hoping someone would answer her.

Calli came to her rescue. "She's with Jake in the car. Please, can we wait til then to talk?"

Dirk tugged the door open, and Jane had to blink at the sudden light a street lamp provided. It had turned completely dark out while she had been in the club, and suddenly she felt tired. But Jane couldn't rest, not until she got the bottom of what was going on.

Across the street was Roxy's tiny Volvo, waiting under a lamp like a loyal dog. Jane wanted to run to it, to give Roxy a hug and demand to be brought home. But she didn't. Something kept her right out side the club filled with freakin vampires, staring at people she thought were her friends. Nothing felt right anymore.

"Dirk-" Jane started, but he waved her off.

"Why did you follow me?" He shouted. Jane took a small step back. Across the street she heard a door slam and saw Roxy marching toward her, Jake frantically trying to pull her back.

"I didn't!" Jane screamed back, refusing to back down. He wasn't getting away this time. Dirk looked surprised. "I wanted to talk to Jake, it's not my fault you were with him! It's not my fault some crazy monsters were in his house either! Kanaya, she's-" She faltered.

Dirk's expression softened. "She's changed." He finished for her. "She was my friend too, back when we were kids. Her and Eridan and Porrim. But things are different now. People you want to trust can't be trusted." He added pointedly.

"You mean you?" Jane gritted her teeth. "You don't think I can tell for myself who to trust? Because I think you need to give Porrim a second chance. She didn't hurt me. Kanaya and Eridan tried to help me from whatever ransacked Jake's house. Dirk, maybe it's you that need to rethink who you trust. Because it looks to me like you don't trust people who can help you!"

"You mean you?" He repeated her. "It's not safe."

"Roxy." Jane said suddenly, looking away from Dirk to the blonde girl who was now by her side. "If I were in trouble, and I told you not to follow me, would you still come after me."

"Jane-" Dirk protested.

"Damn straight I would." Roxy snarled.

Dirk looked at the two of the, and then to Jake who looked nervous. Then he glanced at Calli, who had 'this is your problem' written in plain ink across her face. "Why? What's so great about me that you'll dive headlong into this mess? You don't even know who I am."

"Because I have a feeling that you're someone worth knowing." Jane replied. "And I believe in my gut."

Dirk finally relaxed, letting his shoulders fall. "You're unbelievable Jane. I like that." He flashed a quick grin at her. "Now, let's get you three home. Can't have you ladies out past bedtime."


End file.
